EMS Sim Center

A landmark study published in November of 1999 made headlines when it
stated, “Medical mistakes kill between 44,000 and 98,000 hospitalized
Americans a year” (Dallas Morning News). A poll by the National Patient
Safety Foundation (NPSF) finds that 42 percent of people, more than 100
million, say they’ve been affected by physician errors, either directly
or through a friend or relative (ABC News). Patient safety is concern for
all areas of health care delivery, including care delivered by Emergency
Medical Services.

In November 2000 the Committee on Quality of Health Care in America
published “To Err is Human”, a report containing recommendations for
improving patient safety. Training and educating health care workers
using patient simulation saves lives by allowing medical professionals to
learn in a more realistic, risk free environment. Simulated training
replaces traditional teaching and learning models that incorporate
“see-one, do-one, teach-one” methodology on live patients. Simulated
education allows students to learn both life saving skills as well as
strengthens how teams work together. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue
Department is now incorporating simulation technology as part of their
emergency medical training program.

The Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, in conjunction with EMS
Training Programs and West Group Management opened a new EMS Training
Facility and Community Meeting Room in Tysons Corner, VA to deliver this
simulation training. The center is located at 7921 Jones Brach Drive in
Tysons Corner, Virginia and officially opened its doors for operation on
April 4, 2006. The center provides a state-of-the-art training facility
for the nearly 1400 firefighters and paramedics in Fairfax County and is
staffed by one Continuing Education Coordinator, three Clinical
Practitioners, and six ALS certified Lieutenants.

69% of all Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department response calls are
medically related. This volume emphasizes the need for quality
pre-hospital care in Fairfax County. The center is equipped with two
simulation stages; the first is an ambulance simulator that, on the
inside, looks and functions exactly as a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue
Department ambulance. The second simulation stage can be modified to
appear as a living room, hospital room, or nursery depending on the topic
being taught.

The patients are “SimMan” or “SimBaby”. Produced by Laerdal, both are
full-sized realistic manikins that can produce vitals signs, a pulse, a
heart beat, lung sounds, blood pressures and other signs found in real
humans. SimMan and SimBaby also have vocal capabilities such as speaking
or crying. First responders can perform CPR, start an IV, or even shock
him with defibrillators. Both SimMan and SimBaby are operated remotely
from a control room, removing the instructors from the performance area
in order to allow students and teams to act and practice as they do at
work.

The center provides the space, staff, and equipment necessary to meet
the demands of the Department’s training needs while complying with
certification requirements set forth by the National Registry of
Paramedics and the Virginia Office of EMS. The facilities lecture hall
also jointly serves members of the Providence District as a meeting
space.

The grand opening was covered by WUSA9. To view the story, visit this
site: http://wusa9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=48185. (This is not
a link and Fairfax County does not support this site).